Working with influencers and creators responsibly

Audiences increasingly get information from individuals rather than institutions. The Reuters Institute's 2026 Digital News Report found that 27% of respondents globally get some news from news-focused creators or influencers, and 46% from creators of any type, although only 3% rely on creators alone.¹ In Kenya, the report notes that the prominence of this creator layer stands out globally, with many people turning to influencers, activists and digital personalities for news and commentary.²

For a health campaign, a youth employment programme or a tourism launch, a trusted creator can reach people your own channels never will. Influencer marketing for nonprofits and public bodies is not about celebrity. It is about borrowing credibility, and that credibility is lost quickly if the partnership is hidden or careless.

Start with your audience, not with a list of famous names. In our own practice, we look for creators whose followers match the people the campaign needs to reach, and whose existing content shows they understand the topic and treat people with respect. A smaller creator with an engaged local audience often outperforms a large account with followers scattered across the world.

Before you approach anyone, review at least several months of their past posts. Check for content that conflicts with your values or mandate, previous undisclosed paid posts, and how they handle criticism in the comments. For public sector and UN clients, also check for party political content, which can compromise perceived neutrality.

Regulators in many countries set clear expectations, and the FTC and the UK's Advertising Standards Authority offer useful benchmarks wherever you work. The FTC says a connection must be disclosed if the creator receives free products or other perks with the expectation of promotion, and that relatives and employees must disclose too.³ Labels such as "#ad", "Ad:" or "Paid ad" at the start of a post are likely to work, while "#ambassador", "#partner" or "Gifted" on their own are not sufficient.³ Disclosures should appear in every post that needs one and in the language of the endorsement.³

For video, the FTC advises putting the disclosure in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen, and repeating it during livestreams.⁴ Platform branded content tools help, but the FTC warns creators not to assume they are good enough on their own.⁴ In the UK, the ASA applies the rule that marketing communications must be obviously identifiable as such, expects clear and upfront ad labels, and publishes the names of influencers who routinely fail to disclose.⁵

A short written agreement protects both sides. It should set out the purpose, the key messages and facts the creator must get right, what the creator is free to say in their own voice, how disclosure will be done, the review and approval process, how long you may reuse the content, and what happens if something goes wrong.

The FTC advises advertisers to train and monitor the people who promote them, explain what they can and cannot say, and review paid posts before they go live; handing the work to an agency does not remove that responsibility.³ It also reminds creators that they cannot talk about their experience with a product they have not tried.⁴ For NGOs, the equivalent is simple: let creators see the work for themselves so they speak from experience.

Bringing a creator to a project site carries the same responsibilities as bringing a film crew. Bond's guidelines state that safeguarding requirements must extend to everyone involved in story production, including visitors such as supporters and media representatives who are not otherwise under contract.⁶ They also say informed consent is the cornerstone of ethical content creation.⁶ Brief creators on your consent process and make sure a staff member manages it.

Bond adds that content featuring celebrities should amplify rather than silence the voices of the people you work with, and should show contributors as equals.⁶ When children are involved, UNICEF's guidelines ask that no story or image is published that might put a child, their siblings or peers at risk.⁷ Agree in advance that the creator will share their footage with you before posting anything filmed on a visit.

Agree measures before the campaign starts and ask creators to share their own analytics, not just screenshots of their best post. Reach and views matter, but so do comments, questions, saves and clicks to your website or service, because they show whether people engaged with the message.

Read the comments. They tell you whether the audience trusted the content, understood the message or felt it was an advert in disguise. In our view, one honest, well-disclosed partnership that people believe is worth more than several that reach millions and damage trust.

• Creator chosen for audience fit, not follower count
• Past content reviewed for values and neutrality
• Written agreement covering messages, approval and reuse
• Clear disclosure label at the start of every post
• Disclosure spoken and on screen in video, repeated in livestreams
• Consent and safeguarding briefing before any field visit
• Footage reviewed before posting when people or children appear
• Measures agreed in advance and creator analytics shared